Set in an unnamed African country, the film was viscera and often hard to watch. With the exception of stand-outs such as Teyonah Parris in “Chi-Raq”, Gugu Mbatha-Raw in “Concussion” and Tessa Thompson in “Creed”, 2015 was a distressingly thin year for women of color (especially compared with their rich possibilities on television). At least this year we can cross our fingers for Chris Rock to do some serious dragging of the Academy on February 28th.
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Will Smith and Idris Elba are among those who were snubbed by Academy voters, according to some commentators. However much DiCaprio may deserve it, this year’s best actor category is a strong field featuring audience-favourite Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame, Matt Damon’s triumphant performance in The Martian and Michael Fassbender for his Steve Jobs biopic.
I thought that there had to have been a mistake. Whenever some awards show, sports team or music festival is perceived as “too white” or “too cisgendered” – even though it is abundantly clear there is no prejudicial intent behind the lack of color – it instantly becomes “problematic” in the eyes of the Diversity Über Alles crowd. In spite of the Oscars’ many problems and gales of criticism, millions will still tune in to watch the 88th Academy Awards.
Meanwhile, there was another snub that was being heatedly discussed. But the star of “Pariah”, Dee Rees’s great film about a young lesbian finding her independence from her family, is very good in a small role as the liaison between hedge fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell) and the larger firm he works with.
The #OscarsSoWhite hashtag created by April Reign was useful again this morning when, for the second year in a row, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a slate of acting nominees that didn’t include a single actor of color. A 2012 study performed by the Los Angeles Times found that the Academy is composed primarily of old, white men-shocking, we know. Through the decades, we have seen countless white faces at the podium.
“Diversity”, the lack of it and need for it, has been discussed and debated ad nauseam. Or how about Octavia Spencer who received her golden statue for her role in The Help?
CP: Your father, Ice Cube, was doing publicity for “Ride Along 2” and responded to reporter’s question about “Compton” scoring only one nomination. Even in the midst of this year’s disappointing results I am emboldened by the fact that we had new and exciting diverse voices and performers along with tried and true veterans that were at least in the conversation. And director Todd Haynes, who in Carol told a lovely and lyrical story about two women, was shut out of his category and the best picture group.
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Winning may feel better, but Thursday’s other big movie story stands as an object lesson to all the filmmakers who woke up early that day, just to be disappointed when their names weren’t called. Other than Best Picture, which is a free-for-all, only individuals within a certain area of expertise get to nominate their colleagues; directors nominate directors, for example, while actors all nominate for the acting categories.
